Miseres
by Satine89
Summary: Almond is a girl that is deeply infatuated with someone in Peach Creek... while unconscious, she makes a deal with the devil. What will her darling Rolf think of her now? -Chapter Six up- PG-13 for sexual themes.
1. Default Chapter

**Trapped**

The red head tripped over her own sandals. She had run from very far away, and she was very much alone in the world. Searching for the boy she had loved years before was becoming rather painstaking, and the girl felt dirt mingle with tears on her wet face.

"Where is he?" she thought aloud. Her green eyes welled up with fresh tears, making her sob uncontrollably. No one noticed the girl on the sodden ground near a desolate junkyard.

"Almond doesn't even know where she is," the girl smiled.

_Almond, _the girl thought. _That's my name._

Thinking about the cute name that her mother had given to her made Almond start crying again. She fell on her knees and hid behind a giant purple van adorned with red-orange flame decals. Almond brushed a red strand of hair out of her face.

A large crash rattled the van.

"Oh! Oh! Can we visit Mount Rushmore?" said a dumb-sounding voice.

Almond got up off her knees, and rubbed some tears from her eyes. She dared a peek into the window, and saw three boys.

One was tall, with a green jacket, a red-and-white striped shirt, and blue jeans. He was the one that wanted to see Mount Rushmore. There was a second boy, with a black hat, an orange short-sleeved shirt, purple shorts, and red socks. He looked very fidgety and nervous. The third boy was shorter than the others, with a yellow shirt that had a purple collar, baggy light-blue jeans, a wallet chain, and a huge smirk on his face.

"Didja get a load of those suckers, Double D?" the short boy laughed. He was counting a handful of silver coins. Almond looked questioningly at the money.

"Eddy, that was despicable," the black-hat boy replied. This was apparently Double D. That made the short boy Eddy, Almond reasoned. "They were bricks! We painted bricks and sold them as…"

"Fly me to the moon," the Mount Rushmore kid smiled. Eddy punched him.

"Shut up, Ed!" Eddy bellowed. Almond quickly turned away from the car window. She was somewhat confused by the three guys' antics. One eagerly fondled his money, one was stupider than a sheet of flypaper, and the other was appalled by Eddy's actions.

Almond snuck away from the van and ran through the junkyard. She passed tires, lawn chairs, many things that she found foreign, and even when Almond felt a cramp in her side, she didn't stop.

Almond suddenly felt something hit her in the head, and darkness consumed the dim light of the sun.

Almond opened her eyes immediately. She couldn't see anything except for a gorgeous woman, with silky black hair and piercing blue eyes.

That was the kind of girl Almond wished she were. She felt like a simple girl, too plain for anyone to really appreciate.

"Almond is your name, is it not?" the pretty woman asked. Almond stood up and dusted herself off. She looked down at her purple plaid skirt and her white long-sleeved shirt. She looked a bit out of place in the red-hot room, filled with orange and red décor that complemented the woman.

"Yes," Almond replied shakily. She wasn't sure what to make of the situation. She plucked nervously at her shirt collar, as she was steaming.

"Well, you just got beaned by a slingshot… a girl named Lee Kanker, I believe…" the woman looked up from a paper on her desk. Almond froze. "But I know what you've been thinking."

Almond narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What is the meaning of this?"

The woman shook her head. "Forgive me… maybe I should introduce myself. Elizabeth Applegate. You've probably heard of me."

"Actually, I haven't," Almond responded bluntly. Elizabeth shook her head again.

"Oh, believe me, you have," Elizabeth smirked. "I took over for my father… certainly you know about Mr. Applegate."

"I'm very confused," Almond answered. "Can I just go back to where I came from?"

"Not yet." Elizabeth was still smirking. "You want to see him again, don't you? You want to see him, talk to him, hold him, feel his lips against your skin…"

Almond stepped backwards. "How do you know?"

"I know a lot of things," Elizabeth replied. "And I bet you would do anything for the opportunity to have him, right?"

"Right," Almond said, unsure of if she should have spoken the truth.

Elizabeth stood up, revealing the slinky red dress she was wearing. "I have the power to help you. I'll help you with your goal… all you have to do is sell your soul to me."

"How can I sell my soul?" Almond asked warily. She heard the soft tap of Elizabeth's red heels on the black tile flooring.

"Almond, Almond, Almond…" Elizabeth took Almond's chin in her delicate hand. "One does not usually question the devil."

Almond's eyes widened. "I guess you aren't lying, then…"

Elizabeth smiled. "I knew you'd see it my way. Now then, you want this man. I will not alter too much of your appearance, but I can definitely make you a more mature person… I can get rid of your strange drawl… the chest, obviously… and I can do other things, which you don't need to know about. You're still a kid."

"I'm fifteen," Almond corrected.

Elizabeth smirked. "When you wake up, you will feel no different, but believe me, you will be different. Trust me."

---

"What'd you do to her, Lee?" a voice said.

"I dunno," a gravely voice replied. This was probably Lee, Almond reasoned…

Almond realized that she had her consciousness back. She opened her eyes and saw three girls standing over her. One was blonde and wore a gray tee with red shorts, one was a blue-haired girl with cargo pants and a black tank top, and the last girl had red hair that covered her eyes completely and wore a polka-dot shirt with jeans.

"Where am I?" Almond immediately asked. Suddenly she realized her voice was different. It didn't have the accent of her homeland infused in it.

"Oh, we're the Kanker sisters," the red head said in a gravely voice. She was Lee, then, Almond inferred. "The blonde is May Kanker, the blue-haired girl is Marie, and I'm Lee."

Almond sat up. She was lying on a couch.

"Sorry," Lee smiled. "I didn't mean to hit ya with that slingshot. It was meant for a chicken."

"A chicken?" Almond immediately stood up. Lee raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

"Yeah. One of Rolf's. He's strange," Lee spat.

Almond felt her face redden. "Can you take me there?"

"Why?" May asked. "His chickens are trained to kill us!"

Almond felt a bit skeptical about that.

"Ah, whatever," Marie sighed. She was painting her nails a rustic red while sitting at a card table near the couch. "We just have to point her in the right direction, after all."

Lee shrugged. "All right, girl, follow me."

"My name's Almond," Almond pointed out. Lee swerved around.

"Almond? You're almost too pretty for that name." Lee looked Almond over. "I mean, look at you. The white shirt… the purple skirt… those Oxfords… you look great."

Almond smiled. "Thanks."

Lee grabbed Almond's arm. "Now, to Rolf's place."

---

Almond knew that nothing would get accomplished by leaning against Rolf's fence, watching him work or whatever, but Almond couldn't help it. She had no guts at all when it came to him. He was the best of the best – he was the only guy that Almond respected as more than an equal, even in the strange patriarchy that permeated her country's society.

Besides, Rolf wasn't wearing a shirt, leaving his chest exposed. Almond couldn't stop her mind from wandering.

"What are you doing, girl?" a voice called.

The three boys Almond had seen earlier, Ed, Double D, and Eddy, walked towards her and leaned against the fence with her.

"Watching Rolf work?" Eddy asked. Almond could instantaneously sense that Eddy liked her.

_So this is what Elizabeth meant by other things._

"Yeah," Almond replied stupidly. Double D leaned closer to Eddy.

"Remember the bricks, Eddy?"

"Of course. That was the best scam ever!"

"Well, remember who we scammed, Eddy?"

"Ed-boys!" Rolf yelled from his perch. Almond sank down below the fence, hidden momentarily by a bush. Rolf, as Almond feared, was walking closer, and Almond could feel her heart being pushed out of her butt…

"Rolf remembers your treachery!" Rolf bellowed. Almond could see his face now. He still had the same blue hair and the same tan skin, but he was taller now, and… sexier.

"Run away!" Ed bellowed, and the other two wasted no time in following him. Rolf walked up to the fence and watched them run away for a second or so.

"Run away, will you?" Rolf snapped. "I will chase after you, Ed-boys!"

As Rolf was halfway over the fence, he suddenly looked over at Almond's hiding spot. Almond turned bright red.

"Ah!" Almond moaned. She had no idea what to say.

_Thanks a lot, Elizabeth._

Rolf cocked his head in curiosity. "Almond?"

"Oh, hi, Rolf…" Almond breathed. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Why are you here?" Rolf climbed over the fence and kneeled down to Almond's level. Almond was a bit scared, and scooted away a few steps.

"Something happened back home, Rolf," Almond said. She was desperately trying to calm herself, but that would have been impossible – Rolf was standing before her, shirtless, asking her why she was near his house, hiding behind a bush.

"To you?" Rolf cocked his head again. Almond would have blanched if she weren't so red.

"Yes, to my family, and I came here by plane to find you and your family-"

Rolf gripped Almond's shoulders. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Almond managed to utter. His hands felt soft against her shirt.

Rolf let go and smiled widely. "Then let's get you inside the house. You look a bit scared… you sound a bit different too…"

Rolf babbled on like this as he led Almond to the house. Almond was still red.

_He asked me if I was okay… and he remembered my name…_

Almond followed Rolf inside the house and closed the door behind her.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ed Edd n Eddy, but Almond is my character!


	2. SemiAcceptance

Semi-Acceptance 

Almond opened her eyes. She had awakened, having crashed at Rolf's house about twenty minutes after arriving.

Almond was in a spare room by a bathroom on the first story, and Almond saw a blue duffel bag in the corner of her room.

"My duffel," Almond murmured to herself. Almond remembered – she had carried the duffel around, but had seemingly lost it after seeing Elizabeth Applegate.

Almond suddenly remembered Elizabeth's deal. Almond quickly grabbed some clothes out of her duffel and looked at herself in the mirror.

Almond thought she looked pretty much the same, save that her hair was a bit silkier and her chest was larger. Otherwise, she was, physically, the same Almond.

Almond washed her hands in the large water bucket by the toilet. Almond smiled. She remembered the water bucket from her own homeland. No faucets – just that bucket.

Almond got changed rather quickly into a white short-sleeved shirt and purple capris and walked outside. She saw Rolf already working. She dashed back to her duffel bag and pulled out her portable sundial. It was very early. Almond snapped the sundial on her wrist and walked outside.

Rolf was feeding the animals.

"Hello, Almond," Rolf greeted her.

Almond felt her face redden. "Hello, Rolf." She watched as Rolf filled the pig's trough, and then went into the shed to get some food and help Rolf out. Rolf noticed this and followed her in.

"What are you doing?" Rolf asked.

Almond held the slop bucket, standing precariously in the shed. "I'll help you, Rolf."

Almond tried to walk out the door, but Rolf stopped her by grabbing her bare arm. Almond felt goose bumps travel over her arm in her strange mixture of glee and anxiety. Almond turned her head to face Rolf.

"You don't have to," Rolf said. "You just got here."

"I'm supposed to," Almond smiled. Rolf let go of her arm.

"All right Almond," Rolf shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

---

Almond stood outside, in the center of the cul-de-sac. She smirked, and looked over her shoulder. A redheaded girl and a boy with fluffy hair were jump roping, but Almond watched the boy trip and dislocate his nose.

Almond cringed, then looked over to another area of the cul-de-sac. A blonde girl was talking to a redheaded guy that wore a baseball cap over his head and sat on his bike, clearly showing off to the blonde.

"Hey! You!" yelled the boy with the baseball cap. Almond pointed to herself, and the boy nodded. Almond skipped over to the pair.

The blonde wore a white tank top over a black tee with blue jeans. The boy wore a lime green turtleneck with black shorts.

"You new here?" the boy asked. Almond nodded.

"I'm Kevin," the boy said.

"I'm Nazz," the girl said. "You're very pretty."

"Thanks, I'm Almond," Almond smiled. Almond coughed, then looked at Kevin and Nazz. "Do you know where the creek is?"

"The creek?" Nazz grinned. "Of course! Come on, we'll take you there, right, Kevin?"

Almond thought she heard Kevin grumble something, but he beckoned for her to follow, and Almond did.

---

A lot of people were at the creek. Almond stood, amazed, at the clear waters before her. A boy with a large head and a piece of wood beside him floated in the water, as Kevin pulled off his shirt and smiled, ready for a good day at the creek.

Nazz put down a blanket, then smiled at Almond. "Sit down, Almond."

Almond did sit, but she didn't take off her shirt or capris, as Nazz had taken off her shirt and jeans to reveal her bathing suit.

"So," Nazz began, lying down on the bright pink towel, "where'll you be living… or staying?"

"I'm going to be living with Rolf," Almond sighed airily. Almond was just glad that her face wasn't burning up.

Nazz looked at Almond for a few seconds before murmuring, "I see."

Nazz noticed that Almond hadn't taken off her shirt. "You are wearing a bathing suit, right?"

"Of course," Almond responded immediately.

"So why are you still wearing that shirt?" Nazz inquired.

Almond couldn't tell her that the REAL reason why she wouldn't take off the shirt was because Rolf was here, and being in a bathing suit in front of him would be… like…

Almond turned crimson red, and Nazz grinned. "There's someone here you like, isn't there?"

"No," Almond lied.

"It's Kevin, isn't it?" Nazz smiled. Almond turned white now.

"No," Almond replied honestly.

Nazz just stared at Almond until Almond became very embarrassed. "Fine," Almond sighed.

Almond pulled off her shirt to reveal a white bikini top that correctly accentuated her figure. Nazz nodded.

"You look great. Why wouldn't you take the shirt off before?" Nazz asked.

Almond became red again.

"Right," Nazz said. She went back to watching Kevin show off.

Rolf was floating on a giant beach ball. He looked like he was having a lot of fun floating in the water.

Almond didn't realize that she had been staring at him. Rolf suddenly looked in her direction, and Almond made a small whimpering noise. Rolf waved to Almond. Almond smiled and waved back.

Nazz glanced up from her magazine. "Almond and Rolf sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g…"

Almond's eyes widened. "What?"

Nazz had a huge grin on her face. "I think you like Rolf."

Almond blushed again, and Nazz smirked.

"Yep. You like him," Nazz finalized. Almond sighed. She figured it was no use, and that she should just move on.

Of course, Almond had never told anyone about her huge crush on Rolf. No one knew, not her parents, not her friends, definitely not Rolf himself…

Yet this girl that Almond had barely known for fifteen minutes had figured it out.

"Don't tell anyone, please," Almond begged of Nazz suddenly.

Nazz grinned. "I won't. Don't worry."

Kevin waved to Nazz and Almond. "Hey! Wanna play beach volleyball?"

"All right!" Nazz yelled back.

"Sure!" Almond cried. The two girls walked over to where Kevin stood.

---

Almond was trying to force the giant seed bag out of the shed. She pulled and pulled, and the bag finally popped out, nearly crushing Almond.

Almond got up and dragged the seed bag to Rolf.

"Here's the seed," Almond said cheerfully. Rolf smiled at her.

"Thank you, Almond," Rolf nodded. Rolf began to spread the seed around, and Almond rushed over to help.

As Almond began to drop the seed on the fresh bed of soil, Rolf looked at her.

"You really don't need to help me," Rolf reminded Almond for the millionth time in the past few days.

"But it's my duty," Almond responded. Almond continued to spread seed, and Rolf shrugged and did the same.

It was silent for a few minutes before Rolf finally said something.

"Almond, you know the Ed-boys, right?" Rolf asked.

"Yes," Almond answered. It would have been impossible for her to NOT know the Eds, seeing as they had tried to scam her ten times already – and it had only been three days.

"I believe that the money-hungry Ed boy likes you," Rolf stated rather flatly. Almond felt like throwing up.

_No, no, no! I love you! YOU!_

"Oh," Almond murmured. Rolf continued to drop seed on the ground.

"You're really red," Elizabeth Applegate murmured in Almond's ear. Almond jumped.

"What?" Almond asked. Rolf looked at her.

"What did you say?" he asked.

Almond sighed, "Nothing." Almond turned to Elizabeth.

"Come on. You can make him fall in love with you right now if you wanted to," Elizabeth cooed. "That's part of the… other things."

"I can't," Almond mouthed. "It's scary."

Rolf heard nothing and continued to dump seed on the ground.

"Look, you made a deal with me. You're capable of many things now. You can be happy with him… can't you?"

Almond looked at Rolf. She noticed that when he leaned over, his pants sagged, and she could see his boxers. Almond blushed profusely.

"I love him," Almond mouthed.

"That's great," Elizabeth sneered. "How about giving those powers of mine a whirl, then?"

"What if I don't?"

Elizabeth grinned. "I have your soul. I can make you do whatever I want… that's part of the deal too."

Almond gulped. Rolf took notice. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong, Rolf," Almond answered a little too quickly. Almond could tell that Rolf was very suspicious, but he continued on with his chores.

"Don't make me kill you," Elizabeth scowled as she walked away and then disappeared.

Almond turned to the giant bag of seed.

---

"That looks great, Sarah," Jimmy smiled as he pretended to take Sarah's picture. Sarah giggled at the game of pretend, but then she stopped. Almond was walking past her, still wearing a white shirt and purple capris.

"It's the new girl," Sarah said malevolently. Jimmy stopped pretending to snap photos to watch Almond.

Almond walked by without incident, and Sarah scowled.

"I don't like her," Sarah sighed.

Almond blinked, then looked over to Sarah and Jimmy. Jimmy squealed and hid behind Sarah. Sarah saw the frightened Jimmy and looked menacingly at Almond.

"YOU SCARED JIMMY!" Sarah bellowed. "You're gonna pay!"

Almond seemed to shrink before Sarah. "I'm sorry, miss, I really am…"

Sarah looked Almond over. Sarah was now positive that she didn't like her. Almond reminded her too much of the Eds, for some reason.

"Right you are!" Sarah yelled. "I'll kill you!"

"What's going on?"

Almond and Sarah raised their heads to the sound of the voice. It was Eddy, who was, as usual, with Ed and Double D.

"Eddy!" Sarah screamed. She did not want to deal with any more idiots foolhardy enough to cross her path.

"Sarah, please, can't we just get along…?" Jimmy asked, to no avail.

"Help me," Almond murmured.

"Get lost, Sarah!" Eddy cried, pointing his finger at Sarah.

_What's he up to? _Almond thought.

"This happens to be the perfect place for our next enterprise," Eddy finished.

"Scam, Eddy," Double D corrected. "Enterprises are usually legitimate, unlike you."

"Like I care."

Sarah was now pretty mad at Eddy. Before Eddy knew it, he had been dropkicked clear across the lane.

"GO AWAY, IDIOT!" Sarah hollered. Almond snuck away with Ed and Double D, to a relatively safe haven, as it turned out: Club Kanker.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ed Edd n Eddy, but I own Almond.


	3. Unbroken

Unbroken 

"Almond… intriguing," Double D nodded. Ed, Double D, and Almond sat in Club Kanker, the tree house inside the giant tree near the lane. Almond smiled.

"Want some buttered toast?" Ed asked stupidly, handing Almond a piece of paper.

"That's all right," Almond giggled, but she took the paper anyway.

Double D looked out the window. "So, you just came here?"

"Yes," Almond responded. Suddenly something pounded on the door to the clubhouse.

"I know they're in here, Lee!" yelled May Kanker.

Ed became frantic and ran into a wall. Double D's eyes grew wide.

"Kankers!" Double D moaned, curling into the fetal position. Almond drew a blank just as the door broke open.

Almond turned to the three Kanker sisters. Almond was still a bit blank, however.

"What is this?" Almond asked point-blank.

Lee, May, and Marie all gasped. "Hey, you're that girl. Almond, wasn't it?"

"You know them?" Double D hissed.

"Sort of, yes," Almond replied.

"Nice to see you're doing better," Marie huffed. "Now get out of the way. My boyfriend needs some loving."

Almond took this… in somewhat the wrong way. "You're not a virgin?"

Marie turned bright red. "Of course I'm a virgin."

"Offensive little twit," Lee muttered.

"What's a virgin?" May asked.

As May, Lee, Marie, and Almond continued this seemingly endless tirade, Ed and Double D got out of the tree house. Ed ran to his own home, but Double D tiptoed into the lane and snuck over – inadvertedly – to Rolf's house. Double D knocked on the door and waited patiently.

Rolf answered the door, and raised an eyebrow. "Ed-boy? What are you doing on my doorstep?"

"Help me," Double D moaned. "The Kankers are after me…"

Rolf, without another word, let Double D inside the house.

---

Almond felt cool sweat drip down her face. The Kankers were not only intimidating, but also clever – save May.

"You like Double D, don't you, Almond?" Marie asked harshly.

"No," Almond responded, her face glowing red.

_Rolf, you idiots! Not Double D, not Ed, not Eddy, not Kevin – wake up people!_

"So why were you up here in this tree house with him and Ed?" May inquired. Almond gulped.

"We were… talking," Almond said truthfully.

"What's that soda bottle doing here?" Lee asked.

Almond crossed her arms. "It's a soda bottle. Why is that important?"

"You play truth or dare with soda bottles," Lee grinned. Almond turned red.

"I was not playing Truth or Dare with them!"

"Uh-huh, sure…"

---

Rolf stood outside the tree house with Double D.

"They're still in there, no doubt," Double D moaned. Rolf looked upward.

"Ah yes, the trailer-trash Kanker sisters still walk in the sky platform," Rolf agreed.

Double D had no idea what Rolf was trying to say, but he didn't mention anything.

"You say Almond is in there, yes?" Rolf asked.

"She's still in there."

"Are you sure?" Rolf pressed.

"Pretty sure, Rolf," Double D replied. "But why would you want to go in a room with the Kanker sisters?"

"So I can get Almond out of a room with the Kanker sisters," Rolf replied pointedly.

"Ah," Double D said, even though he still didn't quite get it. Rolf walked up the ladder, and into the tree house. The Kanker sisters obviously noticed this intrusion, and stared at Rolf. Rolf stood there blankly as the Kankers sneered.

"Someone else to deal with," Marie scoffed.

"Hello, Rolf," Almond sighed airily.

"Why are you here?" Lee asked harshly.

"Well, Almond forgot that today she'd be helping Rolf take to pieces some chicken shoes," Rolf told them.

Almond nodded and then smiled, after she had figured it out. "Oh yes, I had completely forgotten about that, Rolf."

"What's the point of that?" Marie asked herself.

May grabbed the back of Almond's collar as she was about to walk away. "Oh no you don't! You know where Ed and Double D are, don't you?"

"No… now stop choking me…" Almond gagged.

"I'm getting bored…" Marie complained.

"Come on girls, let's find the Eds ourselves… seeing that this twerp doesn't know where they are," Lee added sarcastically. May let go of Almond's collar, causing Almond to fall to her knees, breathing heavily.

The Kankers walked by Rolf nonchalantly and went down the ladder. Almond heard Marie's frenzied cries as she saw her 'boyfriend' Double D… and screams filled the cul-de-sac.

Anyway, Rolf kneeled down to Almond's level. "Are you okay?"

"I think so…" Almond turned bright red.

"Now's your chance," Elizabeth Applegate snickered. Almond jumped an inch in the air, startled.

"Is everything alright?" Rolf asked.

"Y-yeah, everything's fine!" Almond stuttered. She felt her body threatening to shut down. She was bright red, and it didn't help that Elizabeth was whispering things into her ear.

Almond collapsed from being overheated. Rolf looked at her and ran down the ladder. In about three seconds, he came back with a full pail of water. He hoisted it up the ladder and placed it on the tree house floor. Almond was breathing when he got back, but she was still red and overheated.

Rolf took a small washcloth out of the pail and put it on Almond's forehead. Rolf backed away. Almond became less red than before.

Elizabeth watched the youth closely, making note of everything he did. He seemed a bit embarrassed.

Elizabeth focused on him, and became embroiled in his thoughts shortly thereafter.

_I wonder if she'll wake up soon… it doesn't seem too bad…_

Elizabeth became a bit irritated. She pushed farther into his mind, and heard a few more things.

_I wonder if Almond knows… it has to be just a bit obvious, that I like her… a lot… maybe even love her…_

"Bingo," Elizabeth said under her breath, as she pushed out of Rolf's mind.

Meanwhile, Almond began to stir. Her eyes opened, and she sat up, causing the washcloth to fall in her lap. Almond picked up the washcloth delicately and placed it on the floor.

Almond saw Rolf sitting there, a bit red, and fidgeting.

"Oh my God! I'm sorry!" Almond screamed. "Did I scare you? I didn't mean to! What happened?"

Almond became hysterical, and Rolf placed his hands on her shoulders. "Calm down, Almond."

Almond looked at Rolf's hands. They were warm, even if they were against her shirt.

"He likes you too," Elizabeth muttered in Almond's ear.

_What? _Almond thought.

"Go ahead. He REALLY likes you," Elizabeth smirked.

Almond turned bright red. She didn't doubt that Elizabeth knew what she was talking about. She was the devil's daughter, after all. Almond sighed. Elizabeth was trying to make Almond do something with her powers.

"You look a little red, Almond," Rolf noted.

Almond took a deep breath. She was going to tell him. She didn't know how, and she didn't know why, but she looked directly at Rolf.

"Rolf… I have something to tell you," Almond breathed.

"Sure, what is it?" Rolf asked. His face was slightly pink now, in contrast to Almond's bright red face.

"I… I like you… a lot…"

Rolf smiled and took Almond's hand. "So do I."

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ed Edd n Eddy.

Reply to Ste's review: Sorry I didn't email it to you. My email is REALLY screwy because I changed my password and now it won't let me in at all… But I named the devil Applegate because of the classic play Damn Yankees. In that play, a guy is tempted by the devil, whose name is Applegate. Needless to say, he didn't have a daughter, but a beautiful assistant named Lola.


	4. Touched

**Touched**

A week had passed. Rolf and Almond acted, to the cul-de-sac and everyone else, as if they were just friends, bound by customs of another land. However, both the male and the female knew that sexual tension was growing to an almost unbearable rate. Oftentimes, it was simple things. Rolf would accidentally grab her hand if she were doing something wrong. Almond would trip, and Rolf would fall down after her, and they'd be lying down beside each other until both got up, with a bright red face, and continued their duties.

It was almost too much for Elizabeth. She pushed a curtain of silky black hair behind her bare shoulder and scowled.

"When will that stupid girl seal the deal?" Elizabeth wondered aloud as she hovered over Rolf's backyard. Almond was casually refilling the pigs' trough as Rolf tended to the cow.

"You mean that nothing's been done yet?"

Elizabeth turned, her strapless red cocktail dress swaying with the sudden movement. A tall man with a deep voice had called her. His black hair was shaped into horns, and his suit looked like it had just been pressed and ironed. A red tie flittered in the wind, against his jet-black suit.

"Father," Elizabeth gasped. She then redirected her attention to Mr. Applegate's question. "The girl is different from the others. Those other girls would get their appearances, find the man of their dreams, and they'd kiss within the hour. But her… it's been a week and a half now, and nothing's happened."

Mr. Applegate gritted his teeth. "I'm not used to failure, Elizabeth. You know that. I don't want to make my record two for fifteen billion."

"Two?" Elizabeth inquired. Applegate narrowed his eyes.

"You think that I had you on purpose?" Applegate inquired. Elizabeth shook her head.

"You're right, Mr. Applegate," Elizabeth replied. "I can't believe my own stupidity."

"I better have this Almond girl soon," Mr. Applegate warned, sitting on a cushion of air and pulling a Bloody Mary out of nowhere. "Our whole operating procedure will be thrown out of whack if we don't get her."

"The both of them are getting near the breaking point," Elizabeth told her father. "Pretty soon, these two prudes will succumb to their old devices…"

Almond dropped a watering can on her foot. Almond bit her lip, and picked it up. Rolf ran over and took it from her, involuntarily placing an arm around her shoulders. The two looked at each other, then separated, each with a slight smirk upon their face.

"Very soon…" Elizabeth corrected herself.

-

"A party?" Almond responded. Nazz nodded, a grin on her face.

"Yep," Nazz said. "It's tomorrow, and there'll be dancing, so…"

Almond stared at Nazz's giggling face and turned beet red. "Dancing…? Like, what kind of dancing…?"

"Oh, you know…" Nazz grinned. "Just normal dancing."

_I doubt it._

"I guess I'll show," Almond responded, completely aware of what Nazz was trying to insinuate. Even though she and Rolf had confessed their love for each other, nothing had happened, but that nothingness was really getting to Almond. Day after day, she hoped that someone was lying beside her as she awoke, but it was just empty space nearby…

Almond walked over to the Eds, who were trying to think of a scam. The heat was clearly not working to their advantage.

Almond sat down beside Double D, and all three of the Eds turned.

"Hello," Ed said.

"What're you doing?" Eddy asked.

Double D just smiled, the way he always greeted Almond.

Almond sighed. "Trying to stay away from Sarah and Jimmy…"

Double D turned. Sarah and Jimmy were jump roping, eyeballing the four suspiciously. Double D moved back to Almond.

"Hey, guys, didja hear?" Eddy suddenly asked.

"Oh, let me guess," Double D sighed. "The sound of money clanging in somebody's pocket? Yes, I heard that not too long ago."

"Not even close, sock head!" Eddy smirked malevolently.

"Buttered toast," Ed nodded.

"Shut up, Ed," Eddy snarled. He then became happy again. "Nazz is having a party – and we're actually invited!"

"Really now?" Double D murmured, an eyebrow raised. "Are you sure?"

"Eddy is the man with the plan!" Ed cried out randomly.

"It's tomorrow, so don't forget to show up, Ed," Eddy grumbled.

Almond could hear a part of her mind telling her that Eddy was trying to impress her, and he was intending on asking Almond to be his date. Almond moaned in her mind's eye.

_I was intending on asking Rolf… of course…_

"Are you going, Almond?" Double D asked. _That_ surprised her. She was thinking so much about the party that Double D's voice was like a welcome snap back to reality.

"Yes," Almond answered, but she was more confused than ever now.

_Is Double D trying to ask me to the dance too? What about Eddy? WHY CAN'T ANYTHING BE EASY?_

"Double D's not asking you to the dance," Elizabeth whispered in her ear. "He just wants to know… as a friend." Almond smirked. At least one thing was going her way.

"You better hurry up and ask Rolf before this loser asks you," Elizabeth added coyly.

Almond heard a small poof. She knew that Elizabeth had gone off to do who-knows-what, and Almond stood.

"I really must be going, guys," Almond told them. "I need to do some chores."

Of course, chores were all that ever needed to be done at Rolf's house. So Almond waved goodbye, and trotted of to Rolf's place.

Eddy watched her walk away, but then he turned to face Double D.

"You don't think that you're going to take her from me, do you?" Eddy asked Double D vehemently.

"Of course not," Double D responded with an air of overt disgust towards Eddy's question. "I was just asking a friendly question, Eddy."

"I wonder if Nazz is going," Ed mused stupidly.

-

Almond began to pump some water from a well into the washing bucket as Rolf pulled some weeds beside her.

"Almond… did you hear about Nazz-girl's party she's having?" Rolf suddenly asked, standing up from the plot of soil.

Almond brushed some dirt off of her face and looked at Rolf. "Yes… yes, I did…"

Rolf turned a bit red and began to fidget nervously. "Well… if you don't mind, Almond… I do wish that you would… uh… what I mean is… do you wish to go… with me?"

Almond dropped the washing bucket. Water sloshed onto the soil, but neither adolescent really was paying attention. Rolf's heart felt as if it had stopped in anticipation. Almond blinked away a small tear, and then, completely randomly, hugged him tightly.

"Of course, of course, of course!" she cried, holding onto Rolf for dear life, smiling brightly.

Rolf heaved a sigh of relief. He returned Almond's sincere hug.

From her perch above, Elizabeth smirked. "It shouldn't be long now…"

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ed Edd n Eddy. Almond is my character.

A/N: Thank you, Ellen, for reviewing such a strange story – and liking it! Wow! I feel very good now.

A/N 2: Now, the next chapter, in case you haven't realized, is the dance. Now we get to deal with angst! I'm excited…!


	5. Realization

Realization 

The party was drawing near, and Almond had asked Nazz a billion questions pertaining to a lot of things – what to wear, how to act, etc. Nazz had been patient with Almond, noticing how flustered she was. Every time that Almond dashed back to Rolf's (and her) house, Nazz would smile and think to herself, _those two will be on each other before the end of the party, I know it…_

Of course, Almond was a bit nervous. Any time anyone would so much mention Rolf's name, she'd become a furious pink color and try to continue on with whatever she was doing.

It wasn't a fancy party. Normal attire was preferred, Nazz told Almond. So as Almond freshened herself up and threw on a clean, long-sleeved white shirt, she looked at herself in the mirror. She noticed a huge difference in her appearance.

Her eyes, contrary to how they used to be so wide and worrisome, were now normal and glittering in interest. Her frame seemed more evened out, her figure had filled out, and her hair was no longer listless. Almond was reduced to wondering if it was the work of Elizabeth, who, for some reason, seemed keenly concerned with Nazz's party and Almond's involvement in it, or if it was just her own doing. Almond didn't want to think about it.

Almond opened the door to the bathroom and pulled on her socks. They didn't pull up to her calves; rather, they bunched up around her feet like leg warmers. Almond frowned and pulled on them some more. She was forced to tug on her socks, trying to get them from falling and bunching around her ankles, when Rolf walked by.

"Are you ready to go?" Rolf asked, a bit concerned.

Almond looked up, and immediately realized that he could probably see up her skirt. Coming with that awareness were two images: one telling Almond to stand up, for God's sake, and another that…

Almond stood up, a bit red. "Um, yes, I think I'm ready."

_Stupid socks. Why won't they do what I want the one day I actually care?_

Rolf nodded, and waited as Almond walked out of the bathroom. Almond was still a bit red, and Rolf was turning slightly pink.

Rolf smiled, and, making sure that Almond was never a step behind, walked out the door to Nazz's party.

"What do you guys do at Nazz's parties… usually?" Almond asked. She'd never been to a party in Peach Creek, and she didn't want to look crazy.

"At day parties, we usually swim. At night parties, we usually dance," Rolf explained.

Almond flushed. At least she didn't have to wear a bathing suit. That would have made her even redder than she was now. Rolf carelessly grabbed Almond's hand, and Almond smiled brightly.

"He's trying to make you feel better," Elizabeth whispered in Almond's ear. "Return the favor. Give him a kiss or something."

Almond turned crimson red at the mere mention. She knew that a kiss was the last door in heaven before a girl fell into Hell…

Not that Hell with Rolf would have been bad. Heck, she would rather be there with him than upon a cloud, just wishing they had done something together.

Rolf looked at Almond. "Are you all right?"

Almond closed her eyes and smiled, her face becoming normal again. "Yeah… I'm fine. Let's get going."

The two of them walked across the cul-de-sac, hand in hand, towards Nazz's house, talking about the stupid things that Wilfred and Victor had done that day.

Almond saw everything around her looked as it always had. At the moment, Eddy and Kevin were bantering with each other, Double D was begging Ed to stop eating, and Sarah and Jimmy were speaking animatedly about curtains. Almond felt a bit outclassed, however, when she saw Nazz. Even though Nazz looked the same, the flirtatious look in her eye and the playful smile on her face made Almond a bit angry.

As if telepathic, Rolf put a comforting hand upon Almond's shoulder. An electric spark traveled down her spine, and her face became a bit red. She looked into Rolf's friendly-as-ever face.

"You seemed a bit tense," Rolf explained, his hand still upon her shoulder. Almond, after a few second's thought, put her own hand upon Rolf's. A strong feeling of love surged over both of them as boys and girls began to pair up and dance,

A slow, waltz-type song that Almond seemed to know filtered over speakers and into the night sky.

Rolf walked onto the soft grass and beckoned for Almond to follow. He needn't have, for Almond was thinking the exact same thing he was.

He took her hand. At the moment, no one was around them. Kevin was not twirling Nazz around elegantly. Sarah wasn't moving slowly, with Jimmy's hands upon her shoulders. May Kanker wasn't trying to goad Ed into dancing. It was just Rolf and Almond, silently waltzing, their footsteps muffled by the dewy grass' down.

_Attila Marcel, _Almond thought. _Why do I know that song? I've never even heard it before._

_It has to be Elizabeth._

Almond turned again, Rolf twirling her to the solemn tune of 'Attila Marcel'. For the first time since Almond became oddly jealous of Nazz, their eyes met. All of the emotion that had been bubbling on the surface of their lives had suddenly hit its peak. Nothing would keep these two apart any longer, and they wanted to finally show each other the extent of their love.

The song ended. The party continued on. It was all such a blur to the couple, and soon Nazz was bidding the guests farewell, even gaining an admirable kiss on the cheek from Kevin. When Rolf and Almond left the party, Rolf had gingerly held Almond's hand in a strange form of anticipation.

Almond felt her face blush as Rolf, urging Almond to be quiet, opened the back door to his house.

This back door was the closest entryway to his own room, which is where he began to lead the 15-year-old Almond.

A/N: All right, I feel it is my duty to warn you… the next chapter is extremely borderline R rated. If you haven't already figured out what would happen next, you know why I say this. So, if you aren't sure that you think this story is appropriate now, skip the next chapter I post. (It isn't graphic, it's just… um… moving on!)

A/N 2: Attila Marcel is from a certain movie. Anyone who guesses right will receive… a cyber-gift to be revealed next chapter! (So if you guess, you'll have to read the borderline chapter!)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ed Edd n Eddy or Atilla Marcel or the movie it appears in.


	6. Adjoin

**Adjoin**

The eerie silence was definitely getting to Almond. The house was completely still… everyone was asleep.

Rolf led Almond through the house, but when he reached his door, he gestured to Almond to stay outside for a few seconds. Almond did as she was told, but she was extremely nervous as to what he was doing in there.

Elizabeth was snickering. Almond ignored her, hard as it was, and waited for the door to open again. This took about fifteen seconds, and when Rolf opened his bedroom door, Almond walked inside.

Rolf closed the door, and then locked it. Almond thought nothing of it, for he locked his door very often. Rolf turned towards his bed and plopped down inside of it.

Almond frowned.

_Oh, that's excellent. Fall asleep on me, why don't you?_

Rolf opened his eyes after falling upon the bed, and once again motioned for Almond to come forward. Almond, still a bit perturbed by what she presumed as simple rudeness, walked indignantly.

Almond leaned down to Rolf's level and as she was about to speak, Rolf kissed her. Almond felt him pull away, and suddenly everything began to come clear to her.

She walked around to the other side of Rolf's bed and fell into it. Almond turned her head to Rolf, and Rolf turned around with little effort. Almond blinked, unsure about what should happen next.

Inexplicably, Rolf knew almost exactly what should happen, as it were. Almond heard the faint noise of clothing rustling, but her face was so red and her heart was beating so loudly that she couldn't be sure.

Rolf stayed silent for a few moments, seemingly trying to find the right words. "Well… your age…"

Almond figured out what Rolf wanted to know pretty quickly.

"I'm the same age you are," she huffed playfully. "Fifteen. Are you thinking we shouldn't do this?"

Rolf, in an answer to Almond's question, kissed her again. In a flurry of passion, Almond undressed quickly and hugged Rolf tightly.

She felt safe wrapped around him, like no one could possibly intrude on her fortitude anymore. For the first time since she came to Peach Creek, no one was whispering in her ear what to do, or telling her what to be like.

Rolf turned, lying on top of Almond.

"Do you love me?" Rolf asked. Almond knew she should have slapped him upside the head for being so dense, but she didn't.

"Of course," Almond instead responded. They kissed again, this kiss more evocative and more passionate than the last.

Description isn't necessary. Making love is fairly basic. The mechanics aren't difficult to understand, nor are they the most important thing about the act. It's the feeling. Almond didn't know quite how to explain it. She felt safe, sure, but every kiss made her insides burn with a fire she'd never felt within her before. Each time she ended up entangled in Rolf's embrace, she anxiously anticipated what was to come. And with a sudden jerk, it came. Like clockwork. And she would lose herself, once again, waiting for her feverish breathing to calm down before opening her eyes and noticing that he was waiting, calmly, for her to take her turn.

The night continued on, silence punctuated with the occasional gasp, pleading for more.

-

The morning came, and Almond awoke with a start. She was still lying in Rolf's bed, but no one was lying beside her.

Almond walked to her room silently, pulled on her normal clothes, and then walked outside. As Almond suspected, Rolf was outside doing chores.

"Hello Rolf," Almond greeted with a playful smile and a pink face as she walked over to the pig's trough.

"Hello Almond," Rolf teased. "Did you sleep well?"

Almond smiled. "Of course."

A/N: I'm still working on editing this chapter… I really don't know how to bring the idea across well… and rereading the old chapter, I was all, what was I trying to say? What…?

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ed Edd n Eddy.


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